1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to keyboards and computers to relieve an operators cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) and related musculoskeletal conditions, and to provide an integral activity area in the middle of the keyboard for at least reference material, hand writing, track ball and mouse type input pointing devices while holding the keyboard on a persons lap or other surface that is not necessarily normal to the host.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The majority of keyboards disclosed or on the market today are of a rectangular shape with a plurality of horizontal rows of keys, whether it be a Qwerty, Dvorak or other custom keyboards.
There are stands that are being marketed today to hold reference material that are positioned to either side of the keyboard. Also there are mouse pads and track balls on the market that are also positioned to either side of the keyboard. There are also computers that emit a tone or a click to give audible feedback to the operator that a key has been depressed.
There are laptop computers on the market with a standard type of keyboard heretofore mentioned. Some have a track ball in the center of the computer in front of the keyboard that the operator must reach across to input data with the keyboard.
Keyboard entry is now being studied to relieve CTDs relating to the angle of the hand when typing. If the hand, wrist and forearm were straight as the input person operated the keyboard then the stress would not be in the wrist caused by the approach angle of the hand to the keyboard.
Some new keyboard designs have focused on steps toward relieving CTDs by angling the input device from the top center about five degrees to lessen the angle of the wrist when imputing data.
One such device has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,078, Grant. It has been described as being a "shallow v-shaped and a center-peak that permits the user to function with a relatively straight hand-wrist angle".
A second device that is being marketed by Apple Computer is their "Adjustable Keyboard". This keyboard is very similar to the Grant keyboard with the exception that the keyboard is split in the middle and the angle of the keys are adjustable from zero degrees to about five degrees. The adjustment is made from a pivot in the top center of the keyboard keeping both sides of the keyboard mechanically attached.
Another such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,005, Lahr. This keyboard device is rigidly held to a desk top and is adjustable in width from a split in the middle. When in the open position a separate copy holder can be mounted to the desk top. The halves of the keyboard can be mounted to the sides of the computer and then be removed to be stored in another section of the computer for transporting.
Disclosed in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,451 Kuba, is the ability to have a keyboard made up of different sections in particularly a phone, numeric key pad and the QWERTY section.